The present invention relates to a stackable cot, as well as to a corner element for a stackable cot.
Stackable cots of this type are often used in childcare centers, daycare centers and nursery schools. They generally comprise a cloth stretched over a generally rectangular frame formed by longitudinal and transverse elements connected to each other by corner elements.
Each corner element is, on its lower surface, provided with a foot, and on its upper surface provided with a recess aligned with this foot and constituting a recess for reception of a similar foot of another couch to be stacked on the first couch. In a known couch, the feet have an overall cylindrical shape and the recesses also have an overall cylindrical shape and have a slight play relative to the contour of the feet so as to permit easy stacking of the cots on each other.
This structure is generally satisfactory, but the holes formed by these recesses present a certain danger for young children which could introduce a hand or an object that could wound them. If the hand remains blocked in the hole and the infant loses balance and falls, there is a real risk of a fracture. For this reason, it would be desirable to avoid the formation of such holes on the corner elements.
There is known a cot of this type in which the corner elements are in two portions, an upper portion and a lower portion connected together. In each corner element of this cot, the recess for reception of the foot of an upper cot stacked on the cot is essentially formed by the hollow foot of the lower portion opening upwardly and by a hole in the upper portion aligned with the rest of the recess.
This cot has the drawback mentioned above, and moreover, the corner elements comprise over all their periphery directed outwardly an undesirable joint because if the assembly surfaces are not perfectly aligned, there is necessarily an edge which projects slightly and thus can constitute a risk. Moreover, this presence of a joint can also tempt children to introduce a blade therein to and to wound themselves seriously when playing.
There are also known other cots in which the corner elements comprise on their outer surface quite simply a shoulder against which the foot of a cot comes into abutment when stacked. In this case, the feet are not individually blocked in position when the cots are stacked. They are in effect blocked together because of the fact that they are connected by elements forming the frame of the cot.
A drawback of this type of cot resides in the fact that the corner regions have an interstice or even an elongated hole formed between the sheet metal and the corner elements. This is also to be avoided for the same reasons as given above.
The object of the invention is to provide a cot and a corner element which overcome the drawbacks of the known cots and which moreover permit less expensive production because there is no machining of the pieces and no metallic inserts conventionally necessary for assembly. The invention also permits simplified assembly of the constituent elements of the cot.
The invention has for its object a stackable cot comprising a sheet of cloth stretched between elongated longitudinal and transverse elements connected to each other by corner elements, each corner element being provided with two horizontal holes for the reception and securement of said longitudinal and transverse elements to form together an overall rectangular frame, each corner element being on its lower surface provided with a foot, and on its upper surface provided with a vertical recess aligned with said foot and constituting a recess for the reception of a similar foot of another cot of the same type to be stacked on said cot, each corner element having an upper portion and a lower portion connected to each other, characterized by the fact that said recess for reception of a foot is formed in said upper portion and that it comprises a lateral opening in the form of a vertical slot opening outwardly and extending over substantially over all the height of said recess while opening upwardly.
According to other characteristics of the invention:
the width of said lateral opening is such that a foot of an upper cot will be held laterally immobilized in said recess (7) without the possibility of outward displacement;
said upper portion and said lower portion are made of a single piece;
said upper portion and said lower portion are in two separate pieces connected to each other during assembly of the cot;
said reception recess is provided in a male member of said upper portion coacting shape-matingly with a female member of said lower portion comprising a lateral opening corresponding to the lateral opening of said recess;
said foot is hollow, and said male member of the upper portion is at its lower end provided with a transverse element forming a bottom enclosing said foot upwardly when said upper and lower portions are assembled;
said upper portion and said lower portion comprise an upper lip respectively a lower lip disposed on opposite sides of the cloth sheet in a corner region;
the upper lip comprises on its lower surface means for retaining said cloth sheet coacting with retaining means disposed on the upper surface of said lower lip;
the upper lip is inclined toward the lower lip so as to form with this latter said retaining means for said cloth sheet when the first and second portions are assembled;
said upper portion comprises a skirt extending on opposite sides of said lateral opening of said recess so as to constitute a guide means during assembly of the two portions, and a protection means when the two portions are assembled;
said upper and lower portions of said corner element are fixed to each other by screw connection means;
each foot comprises at its free end a hole for securement of a roller.
The invention also has for its object a corner element for a stackable cot, comprising on its lower surface a foot, and on its upper surface a vertical recess aligned with said foot and constituting a recess for reception of a similar foot of another corner element of the same type, and two horizontal holes for reception and securement of elongated longitudinal transverse elements (3, 4) to form a frame, said corner element having an upper portion and a lower portion connected to each other, characterized by the fact that said recess is formed in said upper portion and that it comprises a lateral opening in the form of a vertical slot opening outwardly and extending over substantially all the height of said recess by opening upwardly.
According to other characteristics of the invention:
said recess is made in a male member of said upper portion coacting shape-matingly with a female member of said lower portion comprising a lateral opening corresponding to the lateral opening of said recess.